Friday, November 22, 2013

Dota 2 system requirements -- Can you run the game?

Rich in visual detail and effects, the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game Dota 2 by Valve is by far more taxing to the hardware than the original Defense of the Ancients minimap of Warcraft III. Veteran players all know, that in order to pwn most of the matches, one must not only be good and proficient in all hero strategies and map awareness, but also have a good system to run the game. Very few other aspects of the Dota 2 generate more annoyance than suffering from a terrible frame rate, which leads to missed kills, delayed reactions, and other game-breaking mishaps. So, what are the minimum system requirements needed to run Dota 2? Though an important question, we know that’s not the one being asked by hardcore and professional gamers. We also need to know the recommended or optimal system requirements for a smooth gameplay.

According to the official system requirements released by Valve, the hardware needed for Dota 2 are quite similar to ones needed by games like Alien Swarm and Heroes of Newerth.

So if you’re to buy a new gaming rig, the specifications above are what you should at least buy to get Dota 2 up and running. You can cut costs even more if you choose Ubuntu Linux as your operating system, given that its free. If you want better performance (and if your wallet can afford it), then obviously you’ll need better hardware. The recommended or optimal hardware specifications for Dota 2 are essentially hardware that are newer and faster to the ones listed above.

Other Tips

Changing the video game settings of Dota 2 helps increase the frame rate per second (FPS) and reduce lag. Check out my other guide to help you maintain a decent rate of at least 60fps.

Systems who fail to meet the minimum system requirements may still be able to run Dota 2. For instance, if you’ve 2GB of RAM only (or even less), terminate all other programs (Internet browsers, media players, etc.) so all resources can be allocated for the game.

If you’re worried about not having the correct DirectX version, worry not. When installing Dota 2, the Steam client automatically updates DirectX to a compatible, if not the latest, version.

Windows XP, Vista, and 8, along with their 64-bit versions (including Windows 7’s) can run Dota 2 just fine.

Even to this day, Valve is continuing to improve the gaming experience of Dota 2, including visual effects. That said, expect the minimum requirements to be more demanding over time, though the developers may also do some optimizations to maintain the requirements as is.

Having a fast computer allows you to load every match within the grace period (1:30 minutes) While some people fail to load most likely because of bad/slow Internet connection, there are others who also can’t load the game in time because of inferior hardware.